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A report into her misconduct stated: "The panel had regard to the fact that patients and the public place trust in the nursing profession, and that nurses are expected to act in a way which justifies that trust.

"Honesty and integrity are the bedrock of the nursing profession and the panel considered that these were fundamental tenets of the profession.

"Your misconduct was aggravated by the fact that as a senior nurse you were in a position of trust and you were expected to act as a role model to your colleagues," it added.

"The panel was concerned that you were already subject to a final warning and therefore you were acutely aware of your duty to uphold the reputation of the profession.

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"By your actions however you not only fraudulently obtained a prescription from your place of work, but you also deceived a colleague on the reception team.

"The panel determined that the public would rightly deplore this dishonest conduct on the part of a registered nurse.

"In view of these considerations, the panel determined that, irrespective of the likelihood of repetition, a finding of impairment on public interest grounds was required to mark your behaviour as unacceptable."

The incidents came after a 12-year career without concerns and Ms Fallon said she was "ashamed".

The report added: "[She] appreciated the negative impact it had on the nursing profession, your colleagues and the trust patients had in nurses."

Ms Fallon, who now works in a nursing home specialising in dementia care, told the panel she enjoyed her new job.

The panel concluded that her misconduct was not "fundamentally incompatible" with continuing as a nurse and gave her a three month suspension.